Take-off aborted after stairs left hanging
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Nah Aerocat, I was hampered by F&D's but it was DS who is now the "white flash". Must have looked pretty good to see him jump the fence. His lightning run from the club saved the day.
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From Flight Global and reported on another board:
Skytraders Chief Pilot and Director of Operations Terry Vickers confirms his company's A319 (above) was the aircraft involved in the Sunday incident at Cocos Islands off the northwestern coast of Australia. "There was a human error at the issue in closing the door which was combined with an erroenous cockpit indicator. The indicator in the cockpit said the stairs were retracted and the doors were closed," Vickers says.
During the cabin door closing procedure the stairs at the front left-hand side of the aircraft were left deployed and a cockpit warning indicator failed to alert the crew to the problem. Vickers explains that in normal operation, "You get an error in the cockpit if you start the engines with the stairs not retracted."
Vickers says the crew taxied at Cocos Islands airport for 50-100 metres before a flight attendant, "who could hear the the noise of the stairs scraping along," alerted the pilots to the problem. Vickers says that despite media reports he is not aware of ground personnel or onlookers rushing to the aircraft to alert the crew to the problem. Nor did the aircraft attempt to take off with the stairs deployed, Vickers adds.
During the cabin door closing procedure the stairs at the front left-hand side of the aircraft were left deployed and a cockpit warning indicator failed to alert the crew to the problem. Vickers explains that in normal operation, "You get an error in the cockpit if you start the engines with the stairs not retracted."
Vickers says the crew taxied at Cocos Islands airport for 50-100 metres before a flight attendant, "who could hear the the noise of the stairs scraping along," alerted the pilots to the problem. Vickers says that despite media reports he is not aware of ground personnel or onlookers rushing to the aircraft to alert the crew to the problem. Nor did the aircraft attempt to take off with the stairs deployed, Vickers adds.
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Hey Neptunus Rex....
your "About 400 nm north, but thousands west!" ..from Cocos,
should make him around about the Diego Garcia area, shouldn't it?
Since when has there been a refueler at Cocos?
I to spent quite a few overnights at Cocos in the late 70s and 80s, during my time in the RAAF P3 squadrons.
We actually had to do an engine change there once, which eventually had two P3s and two C-130s there at the same time...very busy!
Cheers...FD...
your "About 400 nm north, but thousands west!" ..from Cocos,
should make him around about the Diego Garcia area, shouldn't it?
Since when has there been a refueler at Cocos?
I to spent quite a few overnights at Cocos in the late 70s and 80s, during my time in the RAAF P3 squadrons.
We actually had to do an engine change there once, which eventually had two P3s and two C-130s there at the same time...very busy!
Cheers...FD...
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Least the airstairs won't move much when their feet are on the ice anymore now they have been sharpened up a bit - would have been interesting to see that occur down south - if damaged the Airbus could have become a permenent new hut on the ice - lovely!!!!!
Yes, the details are quite sketchy at the moment (and more than likely somewhat "media embellished") - however, the decision to simply retract the stairs and continue (without maintenance inspection - I assume) will surely raise a few questions in the investigation.
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I know the chief pilot quite well and while I haven't spoken to him about this I understand they always fly with an engineer so it is likely that it was inspected.
If I read this right and based on the FlightGlobal Blog. From the first post here .. Rear stairs - wrong, aborted take off with stairs extended - wrong, 120 pax -wrong. Got to love the press ..great theatre. You have to wonder what else is wrong.
At its core this is clearly not something that should have happened.
Interesting in that it does show that you really have to be careful with what people witness and then say they saw and what they actually do see in the stress of the moment. This is of course giving the journalist no credit for poetic licence!!
If I read this right and based on the FlightGlobal Blog. From the first post here .. Rear stairs - wrong, aborted take off with stairs extended - wrong, 120 pax -wrong. Got to love the press ..great theatre. You have to wonder what else is wrong.
At its core this is clearly not something that should have happened.
Interesting in that it does show that you really have to be careful with what people witness and then say they saw and what they actually do see in the stress of the moment. This is of course giving the journalist no credit for poetic licence!!
So no one had a UNICOM radio or safety vehcle tuned to CTAF?
If something like this did indeed occur then questions need to be asked about the levels of training and competence of ground handlers. That's what happens when amateurs are allowed to run airports.
Not unlike the recent stair incident that occurred at the rock.
If something like this did indeed occur then questions need to be asked about the levels of training and competence of ground handlers. That's what happens when amateurs are allowed to run airports.Not unlike the recent stair incident that occurred at the rock.
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There may, be more to this than meets the eye. The ESIR's are in and no doubt the full truth will come out from the reliable eyewitnesses, including the odd LAME, the airport manager (who did get on the radio) and some aircrew,(ASIC holders and allowed to enter and walk the hardstand when attempting to alert pilots of a hazard) who all saw the whole drama played out, then walked the taxiway and strip after the aircraft had left.
Regards
Regards
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the decision to simply retract the stairs and continue (without maintenance inspection - I assume) will surely raise a few questions in the investigation.
